“Black Out In A Can” Alcoholic Energy Drink Four Loko Just Got De-Caffeinated

Before it got spanked by the FDA for selling an allegedly unsafe beverage, the makers of alcoholic energy drink Four Loko have opted to remove its caffeine and other stimulants themselves. In a statement on the company website, Phusion Projects said, “We are taking this step after trying — unsuccessfully — to navigate a difficult and politically charged regulatory environment at both the state and federal levels.” (The FDA, which had been reviewing alcoholic energy drinks for the past year, was allegedly moving towards issuing Phusion Projects a warning.) Several states had already banned, or were on their way to banning, Four Loko after way too many college kids have died or fallen ill from a “blackout in a can” binge. People who’ve quaffed the fruity drinks said that the equivalent of a six-pack of soda’s worth of caffeine hid the fact that they’re 12 percent-alcohol and, not surprisingly, lead drinkers to make more poor choices. Of course, anyone who really wants a “blackout in a can” can still just mix their 23.5-ounce cans with a caffeinated beverage themselves. (Or move on to wine in a box, which is what classy people drink.) [Reuters]